Abstract

During the last years, many ABC Gates have been deployed in the main European airports, most of them as pilot projects intended to test their capability to improve the border crossing processes in aspects such as speed, security, automation, false rejection reduction, etc. Experience gained from these pilots has been periodically assessed within the Frontex ABC Workshops, where the need for a harmonized approach has been specifically addressed as one of the most urgent issues to be solved. In particular, harmonization would be required in areas as e-passports management, biometrics, gate design, human interface, processes, PKD certificate exchange, signalling and interoperability. On the other hand, EU Smart Border Initiative adds a new approach to be considered in ABC development: The inclusion of a Registered Travel Program (RTP) system for Third Country Nationals and an Entry Exit System (EES).”

Goals

• To make border checks more flexible for passengers by enhancing the workflow and harmonizing the functionalities of border check automation
• Fully operational deployments facilitate the border crossing process for 3rd country passengers, while maintaining security at the border
• To update and integrate current ABC systems and to extend their use to second generation passports and citizens of third countries
• Assess the Feasibility of Registered Traveler Programme (RTP) and Entry / Exit System (EES) concepts and other relevant technology
• Define the concept for the inclusion of Border Crossing Points (BCPs) into an Integrated Border Management System (both national and EU level)
• Assess and evaluate the compliance of the proposed processes with the legal requirements to protect fundamental rights, in particular the protection of personal data and with ethical principles.

Activities

• In order to harmonize the ABC systems it is also needed the identification and design of a basic set of features to achieve a common user experience, involving ABC infrastructure, passenger verification processes, interface look and feel, signalling, etc.
• An assessment of biometric technologies (facial and fingerprint) will be done in order to evaluate, optimize and harmonize the use of 2nd generation passports for passengers identification.
• The state of the art research activities of the ABC4EU projects are also related to:

1. New anti-spoofing techniques, for both fingerprint and facial biometric markers.
2. The development of multimodal biometric fusion algorithms.
3. The development of a cost-effective prototype, handheld device, possible to use inside trains and buses, while the Border Guard is in motion, covering all border scenarios.

• Border Crossing Point (BCP) Test & Validation:

ABC4EU intends to carry out a two-step system validation: the upgraded ABC systems will be integrated with RTP and EES prototypes. Lessons learnt from this first step will be applied for a second and final testing.

Registered Travel Program (RTP) and Entry Exit System (EES) will be specifically tested in the project to assess their feasibility and an EU level border management C4I concept will be developed for end user assessment.

Initial candidates for testing will be Portugal (airport) and Spain (three types of border).

• Special attention will be paid to Legal, Social and Ethical aspects in border crossings The research carried out in the project has to be compliance to the laws related to border controls in the European Union and totally respectful to the rights of the European and third country citizens, from the social and ethical point of view.
• The involvement of end users on the project will be mainly enhanced by:

Meetings for End User Integration Groups (EUIG)

An Active End-User community (EUC), consisting of the end user partners and the direct end user contacts of the other partners

A progressive integration of End Users into EUC during the whole project duration.